Circuit closing and interrupting device.



No. 638,020. Patented Nov. 28, I899. F. KUHLO &. C. EGKEB. CIRCUIT CLOSING AND INTERRUPTING DEVICE.

(Application filed Kay 17, 1899.)

(No Ilbdal.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ KUHLO AND CARL ECKER, OF BERLIN, GERMANY; SAID ECKER ASSIGNOR TO SAID KUHLO.

CIRCUIT CLOSING AND lNTERRUPTlNG DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,020, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed May 17, 1899. Serial No. 717,141. (No model) To all wit/0722 it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANZ KUHLO and CARL EOKER, subjects of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, and residents of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire have invented a new and Improved Circuit Closing and Interrupting Device, (for which a patent was applied for in Germany on the 23d of November, 1898,) of which the following is an exact specification.

The present invention relates to a circuit closing and interrupting device; and it consists, essentially, of a mechanism by means of which a spring is put under tension when the circuit is closed, the said spring acting to interrupt the circuit when a certain volume of a liquid body has been sucked through a small opening.

Our invention will be the better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section through our device. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line a; 0c of Fig. 1.

R is a metallic tube, the upper side walls of which are diminished somewhat in thickness. This tube R is filled with glycerin, 0il,or a simi lar body up to the height h, where the thickness of the wall of the cylinder is diminished. Vithin this tube R slides a piston K, of slightly-smaller diameter than the tube itself. The piston-rod of this piston K is guided through a piece of caoutchouc H, arranged at the top of the tube R, and carries at its upper extremity a knob or button D. Between the button D and the caoutchouc piece H a spiral spring S is inserted, so as to surround the piston-rod. A spring F, in form of a clamp, is fixed to the lowersurface of the button and presses against the caoutchouc piece H. The piston K is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings and, as clearly to be seen, is provided with perforations (Z, closed by a cover 19, arranged at the upper side of the piston, and held down bya small spring 19, so that the oil can flow through the perforations only from the lower side to the upper side namely, the oil flows through these perforations when the piston is pressed down.

The working of the apparatus is as follows:

W'hen the knob D, and consequently the piston K and the spring F, is pressed down, the latter presses against the side walls of the tube R. When now one pole of the circuit is connected to the clamp F and the other pole to the metallic tube R, the circuit is closed as soon as the spring F is in contact with the metallic tube R. The piston K descends and the oil is pressed through the perforations and accumulates above the piston. Owing to the pressure of the spiral spring S, which now is put under compression, the oil slowly is sucked downward through the small space between the walls of the piston and the tube. At the moment when the last drop has passed through this space, the piston having reached the height h, the air, owing to the larger diameter of the tube R, quickly passes through and the piston, owing to the pressure of the spiral spring S and of the air underneath, rapidlyis pushed againstthe caoutchouc piece II. This rapid rising of the piston effects the sudden interruption of the circuit.

Evidently the time for which the circuitis closed depends upon several circumstances-- for instance, upon the size of the tube R, and consequently the quantity of oil employed, the strength of the spiral spring S, and the amount of the space through which the oil flows downward again.

The present device can be cheaply constructed and will be found to work for along period of time.

The interruption of the cur ent takes place in an eit'eetive manner, for the reason that the air quickly passes beneath the piston, owing to the diminished thickness of the side wall of the tube R, and, together with the pressure of the spiral spring, the piston rapidly is pushed upward, thus the circuit being interrupted.

Having thus fully described the nature of this invention, what we desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is In an apparatus for closing and interrupting circuits, the combination with a metallic tube R forming one pole of the circuit and filled with oil to a certain height and having side walls which at the upper part are diminished in thickness, a caoutchouc piece II closing the tube It, a piston K sliding downward, for the purpose and substantially within this tube and leaving a space between as set forth.

the side walls of the tube R, perforations (Z 4 In witness whereofwehave hereunto set our provided in the piston, a coverp closing these hands in presence of two Witnesses. l

5 perforations and noting like it valve, a spiral FRANV KUHLO spring S surrounding the piston-rod ot the CARL ECKER- piston K and reposing, upon the caoutchoue piece 11,2; clamp-formed spring F forming the other pole of the circuit and pressing to against the caoutchoue piece, to be pressed Witnesses:

WOLDEMAR HAUPT. HENRY HASPER. 

